Diagnosed, but not sure if have it or not

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I've been (mostly) lurking on these boards for a while now, and I'm slowly realising that I don't seem to fit the typical AS pattern. The only AS trait that really fits me is the obsessive interest: I definitely have this, and I have it stronger than anyone else I know, which includes some other diagnosed aspies. But I've never really had any trouble with social situations. I have no real trouble predicting what people will do. I can easily understand people's motives and feelings. I appreciate small talk and I have no problem with white lies. I instinctively know what's 'normal' to do. I don't really stim; I fidget a bit but not to a greater degree than most other people.

People never seem to pick me out as different. I've never had any problems with bullying. I have a few friends, less than most people, but I think that's probably just because I'm introverted and a bit anxious socially. When people talk to me I'm fine. But I am scared of taking the initiative to initiate conversations myself.

However, I have been officially diagnosed with AS, by a psychologist. That was when I was 8, and I'm 14 now. But as I've said, it doesn't seem to fit me. There's always the possibility I'm not noticing or ignoring my AS traits, but I've thought about it long and hard and I'm quite certain. I have no reason to be insecure or in denial of AS. When I was diagnosed, I actually kind of liked it because it made me feel unique and interesting.

So, do I sound AS to you? It seems like a bit of a pointless question now because obviously my post will lead you to believe that I'm not. Maybe a better question would be: Have you ever had any doubts about your diagnosis? Why? If you are no longer in doubt, what made you come to the conclusion you made?

(This post probably seems very articulate for a 14 year old, which is like an AS trait. I'm not like that when I'm talking with my mouth though.)

I am "assessed" as having AS by an AS specialist..and am not sure if I have it or not...even though i have a lot of issues with a lot of things...I have just gone back to believing that I am an ADDer with AS traits...and I have just gone into a cycle of asocial bad habits as a result of my weird lifestyle.

Yeah..you do sound pretty articulate for a 14 year old. I am a lot more articulate when I am writing myself...

Psychologists can be wrong...perhaps you should go back for a re-evaluation...a lot of change takes place in people over time...I was a very dysfunctional child who grew into a moderately functional but weird adolescent...who grew into an adult who fluctuates...If I AM on the spectrum, it is probably more likely that I am PDD-NOS....which is waht I thought I was before I was assessed.

The reason I don't think I have AS is because my sensory issues have dulled so much over time, and i might be just a tad bit too socially dynamic for an aspie, and not intelligent enough.

I am not much like any of the aspies that I know...though we are all completely different from each other.

I agree with Poopylungstuffing: you are articulate. But I can't tell how you sound, since you wrote your entry. Some Aspies are very good writers but poor speakers, so would appear less "Asperger-ish" here on WP than if you met spoke to them.

AS is a spectrum disorder, so perhaps you can consider yourself very high functioning, possibly high enough that another neurologist would not have diagnosed you with AS.

Over time diagnosis becomes harder, unless there are clear signs. I have clear signs, from sensory issues and seizures to limited/poor social skills and highly focused, obsessive interests. Others do not have such clear signs, or manage to adapt to them as they mature. You may be in that latter category, and eventually fall off the spectrum, so to speak.

A re-evaluation is always a good idea when in doubt. But if you're not experiencing any difficulties, not suffering any problems, then it may not be a good use of time.

Sounds like AS to me. Obsessive interest, can do conversation but not initiate easily (same with me), articulate with written words (certainly for your age) yet dissimilar level verbally. What about eye contact when people are talking directly at you? As for people's motives, for many years I believed I was an expert on these topics but believe me, given time I learnt.

That said, if you can cope with life then it's all good. If you haven't got AS then you've got some similar advantageous traits without the disadvantages of having AS, meanwhile if you do have AS then consider yourself lucky to avoiding much of the problems it brings.

I am not sure whether you have AS or not, since firstly I'm not too good at spotting Aspies and secondly I certainly can't do that over the Internet. However, possibly you can get a second opinion from another psychologist. In the Netherlands this would be covered by insurance, but I'm not sure about England.

Are you sure of all this?

If you was diagnosed at 8 y.o., these mean that, at that age, someone (parents? teachers?) decided to take you to a psychiatrist. These mean that probably you had some kind of "problem" (or, at least, some thing that appears as a "problem" to the other people). If there is not the case, for what reason they take you to the doctor? [Sorry by my confuse English]

What is your score at the AQ quizz?

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

You could be misdiagnosed since you have all those normal abilities aspies lack. It's possible to have aspie traits but not enough for a diagnoses and it has to impair you.


I have also doubted mine because I don't feel impaired or effected and I can control my obsessions. They don't keep me from working and neglecting my responsibilities and I don't talk about them all the time. I used to but not anymore. I learned to do it less. I am able to be flexible without freaking out and having a meltdown, I got control over my emotions in that area. I had to work really hard to get over it.


But it's also a possibility you could be fooling yourself, you might think you do good but you might not realize you are missing all the cues and all because no one is pointing out to you how they felt and all and no one is telling you you act like you don't care. You notice lot of stupid people because they are expecting you to read their minds and all but you don't realize it's you and it looks that way to you and to them you come off as self centered and selfish because you are missing all these non verbal cues and body language. That was my experiance there in high school of how unaware I was of my own traits. I thought the kids in my school were the ones with the problems and when I was 16 my parents were saying I didn't care about them and all I think is myself even though I thought of them all the time. Kids acted like they wanted me to read their mind and they wouldn't let me socialize. Now that I am an adult and out of school, I don't get this crap anymore. My dad had always told me things get better when you grow up and it did get better.

I am also different than lot of aspies and my opinions and point of views are different. It feels like I don't fit in with non aspies and aspies and I am in between. I feel too abnormal for the normies and too normal for the aspies. I don't have all these problems lot of aspies seem to face and I sometimes wonder how on earth did I get diagnosed and end up on the spectrum? Well kids thought I was stupid and ret*d, I had troubles in school with figuring out how I shall act and what the rules are and I couldn't tell where the lines were drawn, and I was left with zero friends in school my age by the time I was 12. Even school work was hard. So bad enough I guess as a kid but now I have gotten much better.

First off. It is possible, depending of the environment, to get friends with asperger. For myself I did had friends when I was thirteen (not when fourteen thought a least not at school)

I most also say though, that having obsessive interests doe not necessary mean that you got Asperger. In fact, it's not enough for be properly diagnosed Asperger.

There is intellectual giftedness: can give you obsessive intellectual interests and be misdiagnosis as Asperger (You doe seem really smart). You can look if that fit you:

Characteristics of Giftedness

Gifted Haven

Do you have

Me neither. So I guess I don't have it. I do have a

But that doesn't really affect me. I don't fit enough of the criteira to be diagnosed, but I fit a lot of the stuff that isn't on the DSM criteria.

Oh, and I'm good at puns. And I deal in informatio, not data

The Dx factor topic

Whether one has AS or not is not really the problem here. This is not something you have to divulge in every human encounter. I wanted to find out because of my perceived dysfunction in my life. Understanding the way I am at this stage solves a lot of problems and I can get assistance for some of the co-existing conditions that interfere with my functioning.

If you are Dx AS and you are not having difficulty, then why does it matter if you have it or not?

But if you need an evaluation to explain other concerns, then this could be explored.

Good luck.